That dark undertone is what gives the movie its spine, IMO. The scene in which the other scouts launch an attack on the runaways could have been just a kids-at-play rumble until they all noticed the dog lying dead with an arrow in his side. That was a bit of a shock. It was leavening of a sort, since there is so much whimsy in the film. Like in the family's home, hanging on a wall between two pictures is a pair of scissors. We're never shown that again nor is there any explanation of why scissors should be hanging on a wall. And a trestle table outdoors in one of the scout camps is holding some scouting gear but also a framed 1940s-style photo of a woman talking on the phone. Lots of stuff like that, little unexplained anomalies.

We have an otherwise by-the-book scoutmaster who is always smoking. One time the film's narrator (Bob Baloban, looking like an ad for L.L. Bean) starts talking at day's end when visibility isn't too good, so he reaches off the side of the screen and turns on a light. Harvey Keitel is barely recognizable behind huge handlebar mustaches, and Tilda Swinton doesn't even have a name in the movie; she's listed in the cast as "Social Services". I thought the conclusion was rushed and not too credible, but I didn't mind that too much. A conventional ending just wouldn't be right for this movie.

Jon said: "I agree, Austin. I was especially happy to see it knowing only the bare minimum in advance.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt has grown up nicely, after beginning as a kid on TV.

[Edited to add: I jumped to respond, but I suppose this discussion belongs in a different thread....}"

I just saw it, also without much foreknowledge, and it is a goodie. It's a very intense movie, so you can't look away from the screen or you'll miss something. I long ago grew tired of Bruce Willis's alpha-male shtick, but I must say he was perfect for this role -- obviously older, getting pudgy, but still with fire in his eye. I was also impressed by Garret Dillahunt (Jesse), whom I don't remember seeing before. I'm going to echo Austin's GO!

Garret Dillahunt has made a lot of his career on TV, having had regular or recurring roles on series like Deadwood, ER, Burn Notice. For the last few years he and Martha Plimpton have played the parents of the central character on Raising Hope.

Cloud Atlas has gotten mixed reviews, but I'd say it's a must-see movie. Any episodic story runs the risk of annoying readers or an audience by involving them in one plot and then cutting away to another when they want to continue with the one they've been reading or watching. This never happens in Cloud Atlas; it's all one continuous story and the transitions between parts are fast and smooth. Dozens of story lines, actors playing multiple roles (a couple of them transgender), and the whole thing a visual treat -- I'm buying this one when it comes out on DVD.

I was never much of a James Bond fan until Daniel Craig came along (I liked the gadgets more than the people). Skyfall is a good one...a slick, fast, action movie with an unexpected ending. Judi Dench's role is larger than usual, and Javier Bardem makes a very quirky villain. Skyfall has undertones of vulnerability not found in earlier 007 movies, but it remains a thriller in the truest sense of the word.

Yes, this one is definitely different from the first two Craig movies, even though the emphasis is still on action. We can't really talk about it without giving away too much, not even with the Spoiler option. One reason I like the Craig movies is the absence of campiness present in the earlier 007 movies, but all of them show an attention to detail that's quite remarkable.